my comfort recipes
♥ Log in Sign up
  • en
  • fr
  • es
  • pt
  • de
  • it
  • nl
    • 🌍 World Kitchen
    🌍 World Kitchen
    Log in Sign up
    Home / Dessert / Dulce de Mamón

    Dulce de Mamón

    A jewel-bright preserve of green papaya simmered in syrup with cinnamon and cloves — Paraguay’s classic sweet, served with cheese or on toast.

    ⏱ 20 minPrep time
    🔥 1 hr 15 minCook time
    🍽 8Servings
    🏷 DessertCategory
    ☆☆☆☆☆No ratings yet

    Dulce de mamón is the traditional Paraguayan way of turning humble green papaya into something precious: chunks of firm fruit simmered slowly in sugar syrup until translucent and amber, perfumed with cinnamon, cloves, and citrus. It’s served with fresh cheese as a dessert, spooned over ice cream, or spread on bread.

    Green papaya, slow syrup, sweet patience

    Slow cooking transforms the pale papaya into glowing, translucent golden cubes with a tender, slightly chewy bite and a delicate flavor like a cross between melon and pear. The cinnamon-and-clove syrup is thick and fragrant — the kind of sweet that tastes like an old family recipe.

    Paraguayan recipes →

    Step by stepInstructions

    1. Peel the papaya, scoop out the seeds, and cut the flesh into 1-inch cubes.
    2. Soak the cubes in cold salted water for 30 minutes, then drain and rinse.
    3. In a wide pot, bring the sugar, water, cinnamon, cloves, orange zest, and lemon juice to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
    4. Add the papaya and simmer over low heat, uncovered, for 60 to 75 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cubes are translucent and the syrup is thick and amber.
    5. Skim any foam that rises, and test the syrup on a cold plate — it should be thick like honey.
    6. Cool completely in the syrup, then transfer to sterilized jars; the papaya keeps soaking up flavor as it rests.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    Green papaya is essential — ripe papaya will fall apart. If you can't find green papaya, firm green melon makes a decent stand-in. It keeps 2 months in the fridge in a sealed jar.

    Rate this recipe

    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
    ☆☆☆☆☆No ratings yet
    Sign in to rate this recipe.

    Recipe details

    Prep20 min
    Cook1 hr 15 min
    Servings8
    CategoryDessert
    PublishedAugust 17, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

    Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

    Keep browsingYou might also like

    View all recipes →